Strength Training: The Fear of "Bulking" Up

By: Laura Casselman, CPT

As a Personal Trainer, I have come to find, many women harbor the fear of weight training because they believe they will bulk-up and lose their feminine appeal. 1 out of 3 female clients will say, "I don't want to get big and bulky, I just want to tone what I have." Since this is a big fear of many women, I want to dispel any false truth's about building "hulk-like" muscles in the gym and focus on the benefits and health gains one does make with smart resistance training.

First and foremost, contrary to what you may have heard, building the body of a cover girl on Muscle Fitness Magazine is not easily done. In fact, few workouts can create this outcome and even fewer women have the ability, dedication, or time to create such a body. In order to bulk-up, you would need to spend 2 to 3 hours in the gym everyday lifting the heaviest weights possible and even then, chances are you still would not have the figure of a body builder.

Aerobic training, depending on the form, can strengthen and tone muscles, however, the most effective way of speeding one's metabolism is with resistance training. That's right, lifting weights actually speeds your metabolic rate! This means calories and fat are burned at a higher speed even when your body is at rest.

Speeding the basal metabolic rate is only one benefit of resistance/weight training. Studies show women who moderately train on a regular basis enjoy a plethora of benefits. Some of which are listed below:

• Increased Muscle Strength
• Increased Endurance
• Decreased Body Fat and Increased Lean Muscle
• Increased Bone Density
• Increased Ligament and Cartilage Thickness
• Decreased Development of Osteoporosis in Women
• Reduced Risk of Heart Disease, Diabetes, Arthritis and Lower Back Pain
• Relief of Tension and Stress
• Increased Self-Confidence
• Improved Sleeping Habits
• Normalized Blood Pressure
• Increased Life Expectancy
• Decreased Cholesterol Levels
• Decreased Menstrual Pain

By far, the benefits of weight training, out-weigh any fear of the chance to bulk-up; which as stated above, is unlikely and rare due to the lack of testosterone in the female body. Ladies, step off the treadmill, pick up your weights and say hello to a new, stronger, leaner, more energized version of you!